Electricity companies must replace plants that emit carbon dioxide with other systems so the UK can meet an important emissions reduction target, according to the Committee on Climate Change (CCC).
In a letter to Ed Miliband, secretary of state for energy and climate change, the CCC urged the government to adopt a target of 80 per cent greenhouse gas reduction by 2050.
The "achievable" aim would cost one to two per cent of the nation's gross domestic product in 2050, but would prevent the dire consequences associated with a global temperature increase of two degrees centigrade.
To reach this target, the CCC called for the power and heat industries to decarbonise, meaning replacing fossil fuel burning technology with renewables or facilities fitted with carbon capture and storage.
It also called for the energy efficiency of buildings to be boosted.
E.ON recommends a variety of measures to boost energy efficiency in businesses and homes.
The largest publically owned electricity company has realised that employees who fail to turn off their computers when going on holiday cost UK companies £5 million a year and lead to unnecessary carbon emissions.
E.ON also recommends installing cavity wall and loft insulation in the home to save on bills and emissions.
